NUTRITIONIST | SAN ANTONIO

The Facts about GMOs and Organic

What are GMOs? Why is organic better, or is it? Should I spend the money on higher quality food? Am I poisoning my family with cheap food? All of these questions will be answered in this article. Make sure to take notes, and bring along these lists on your next trip to the grocery store!!

What is a GMO?

GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory, through genetic engineering. This relatively new science creates unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacteria and viral genes that do not occur in nature. GMO crops are illegal in 38 countries, but not in the U.S.

Types of GMOs

Bt Toxin-These crops are genetically engineered to have a built-in toxic pesticide and to constantly produce it at all times. When bugs try to eat this GMO crop, their stomachs explode and they die. These crops are REGISTERED as pesticides with the EPA.

Roundup Ready -The crop has been genetically engineered to withstand “Roundup,” which is an herbicide. We can spray them with all the herbicide we want (5 billion pounds a year), and the crops just won’t die. Unfortunately, everything else around it dies. The worms, the bugs, all the nutrient-rich weeds, the good bacteria in the soil, etc. The problem with that is that there’s a chemical in Roundup called “glyphosate,” which DESTROYS our gut bacteria.

Promoting Traits by Injection The third type of GMO is a crop that doesn’t contain an injected pesticide. Instead, it’s genetically modified for a desired trait. They inject this desired trait, but the problem is that it has two promoters on either end of it. These promoters’ jobs are to wake genes up. I don’t want any genes awakened in my body that would tilt me to cancer or any rare disease..

High-Risk GMO Crops That I Recommend to Avoid As Much As Possible

Is Organic automatically Non-GMO?

Yes, and Organic is the gold standard. Organic is actually a step above Non-GMO.

Should I buy organic produce over conventional?

The bottom line is organic has loads more nutrition, and no chemicals. However, budgets and availability prohibit most of us from being 100% organic. Here is a list of “The Dirty Dozen” which when conventionally grown, tested positive for at least 47 different chemicals, with some testing positive for as many as 67. It’s best to only eat organic of the following:

celery

peaches

strawberries

apples

domestic blueberries

nectarines

sweet bell peppers

spinach, kale and collard greens

cherries

potatoes

imported grapes

lettuce

Organic Produce is More Nutrient Dense

The following are the Clean 15, which has little or no trace of pesticides:

0nions

avocados

sweet corn

pineapples

mango

sweet peas

asparagus

kiwi fruit

cabbage

eggplant

cantaloupe

watermelon

grapefruit

sweet potatoes

sweet onions

What about meat? Organic meat is so much more expensive! Is it worth it?

The animals that eat GMO feed (corn and soy), are treated with powerful antibiotics and hormones, and killed inhumanely, create some of the most toxic food on the planet. My advice is to eat less meat over all, and when you do eat meat, spend the extra money on the good stuff.

So now you know why “those” (me!) people shop at Whole Foods, and are so picky. We are not just yuppies wanting to spend a ton of money on groceries, lol. Don’t judge us, we just know the truth, and choose to stay away from GMO’s and eat as Organic as Possible!! That’s why I drive a paid-off Minivan, so I can afford to shop organic and super-healthy.